AUGUST 8 - FRIDAY - DAY 24 - 08/08/08

IT'S THE DAY OF EIGHTS , WHICH IN A LARGE PART OF THE WORLD IS A VERY BIG DEAL , FOR KHUN CHUCK IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A BIG DEAL , IT'S THE DAY HE CAME INTO THE WORLD ,

--** EXPOSURE - OA
I AM STANDING IN LINE WAITING TO CHECK IN AT A RECEPTION DESK . A SMALL VOICE BEHIND ME SAYS " MOM , THERE'S THE GOLDEN EGG. " WHEN I TURN AROUND IT IS WYATT, AN ANGEL LESS THAN A METER HIGH THAT NAMED THE EGG 'EGBERT'.

IN LESS THAN A SECOND HE HAS READ ME LIKE A BOOK AND ASKS WHY THE GLOVED HAND I USE TO CARRY THE EGG IS HOLDING A WATER BOTTLE AND A BOOK AND MY BARE HAND IS HOLDING THE EGG . MY ANSWER IS THAT I WAS IN A HURRY GETTING OUT OF THE CAR AND I GOT IT BACKWARDS . HE THINKS THAT'S FUNNY .

HE ASKS HIS MOTHER " WHAT AM I DOING TODAY ?" SHE ANSWERS-"HAVING A CENTRAL LINE PUT IN " I TELL HIM I HAVE ONE OF THOSE TOO. THEY'RE OKAY . I ASK HIM " WYATT , HOW HAVE YOU BEEN DOING ? " AND HE TELLS ME - "I'M STILL FOUR." EVERY HEART IN THE WAITING ROOM FLOATS AWAY WITH HIM ON BALLOON STRINGS WHEN HE WALKS DOWN THE HALL . --**

KHUN CHUCK HAS BEEN ASLEEP FOR 36 HOURS IN THE RAFT DRIFTING IN SLOW CIRLCLES AS HE MOVES DOWN A RIVER WITH NO ENDPOINT IN SIGHT . A PARTICULARLY LARGE LIZARD FOLLOWED ALONG ON THE BANK TODAY FOR QUITE AWHILE. KHUN CHUCK NEVER KNEW IT WAS THERE .

ON THE CLINICAL SIDE OF THINGS , WE REMAIN IN VERY GOOD TERRITORY. BLOOD COUNTS HAVE HELD STEADY AND IN GOOD RANGE FOR A WEEK . THERE ARE STRONG SIGNS THAT THESE ARE THE DONOR CELLS AT WORK WHICH IS WHAT WE WANT TO SEE. AND SO FAR I HAVE BEEN SPARED MANY OF THE COMPLICATIONS THAT CAN COME ALONG WITH A TRANSPLANT LIKE THIS . I AM VERY THANKFUL. I REMAIN ON FULL ALERT BUT WE ARE PUTTING IN GOOD DISTANCE FROM THE START POINT WHICH IS ALL GOOD.

I'LL CHECK IN WHEN I WAKE UP , KHUN CHUCK